Sections

Personal tools

CPSR Signs EPIC's Comments Opposing DHS Database Exemptions

CPSR is one of more than 40 organizations signing comments in opposition to the proposed privacy exemptions for a new Homeland Security database. The exemptions would waive the legal requirements designed to protect individual privacy, promote government accountability and provide legislative oversight over government collection of data. The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) extensive new database, The Homeland Security Operations Center Database, is to be exempt from section (g) of the Privacy Act of 1974, which would deny individuals the right to make certain that information maintained by the agency is correct. In addition, individuals will be denied judicial review of DHS's determinations.

The Department of Homeland Security is also seeking to exempt the
database from the fundamental Privacy Act requirement that an agency
"maintain in its records only such information about an individual as
is relevant and necessary" to accomplish a stated purpose as required
by Congress or the President. This gives DHS almost unlimited freedom
to track and profile American citizens, without accountability. For
these reasons Computer Professionals For Social Responsibility opposes
the currently proposed Privacy Act notice and joins the Electronic
Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and over 40 other organization in
urging DHS to:

"revise its Privacy Act notice
for the Homeland Security Operations Center Database system to 1)
provide individuals judicially enforceable rights of access and
correction; 2) limit the collection of information to only that which
is necessary and relevant; and 3) give U.S. and non-U.S. citizens
rights in their information maintained in the database."